Cambridge IELTS 14 · Academic · Test 2 · Passage 1
Alexander Henderson (1831-1913) — IELTS Reading Answers
All 13 answers for Alexander Henderson (1831-1913), Cambridge IELTS 14 Academic Reading Test 2 Passage 1, with the passage evidence and an explanation for each.
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Alexander Henderson (1831-1913) answer key at a glance
Questions 1–13. Tap an answer to see the evidence.
What this passage tests
This passage is tested with True / False / Not Given (Q1–8), Note Completion (Q9–13). Each section below gives the strategy for that question type, the answers, and the sentence that proves them.
Questions 1–8: True / False / Not Given
Strategy: Judge the whole statement against the text. FALSE contradicts the passage; NOT GIVEN means the passage never addresses that specific claim.
Henderson rarely visited the area around Press estate when he was younger.
“Alexander spent much of his childhood in the area”
FALSE: Alexander 'spent much of his childhood in the area', which contradicts the claim that he rarely visited the Press estate.
Henderson pursued a business career because it was what his family wanted.
“Although he never liked the prospect of a business career, he stayed with it to please his family”
TRUE: although he 'never liked the prospect of a business career', he stayed with it 'to please his family', so family wishes drove him.
Henderson and Notman were surprised by the results of their 1865 experiment.
“The two men made a photographic excursion to Niagara Falls in 1860 and they cooperated on experiments with magnesium flares as a source of artificial light in 1865”
NOT GIVEN: the 1865 magnesium-flare experiments are mentioned, but the men's reaction to the results is never described.
There were many similarities between Henderson’s early landscapes and those of Notman.
“their styles of photography were quite different”
FALSE: the text states 'their styles of photography were quite different', contradicting the claim of many similarities.
The studio that Henderson opened in 1866 was close to his home.
“In 1866, he gave up his business to open a photographic studio, advertising himself as a portrait and landscape photographer”
NOT GIVEN: Henderson opened a studio in 1866, but the passage never says whether it was close to his home.
Henderson gave up portraiture so that he could focus on taking photographs of scenery.
“he dropped portraiture to specialize in landscape photography and other views”
TRUE: he 'dropped portraiture to specialize in landscape photography and other views', so he gave up portraits for scenery.
When Henderson began work for the Intercolonial Railway, the Montreal to Halifax line had been finished.
“the almost-completed line connecting Montreal to Halifax”
FALSE: the line was 'almost-completed', meaning it was not finished when Henderson began work for the railway.
Henderson’s last work as a photographer was with the Canadian Pacific Railway.
“He continued in this post until 1897, when he retired completely from photography.”
TRUE: he 'continued in this post until 1897, when he retired completely from photography', so the CPR work was his last.
Questions 9–13: Note Completion
Strategy: Predict the word class from the note, find the paraphrase of the note's keyword in the passage, then copy the answer exactly within the word limit.
“Alexander Henderson was born in Scotland in 1831 and was the son of a successful merchant”
Henderson 'was the son of a successful merchant', so merchant names his father's occupation.
“There was little competing hobby or amateur photography before the late 1880s because of the time-consuming techniques involved and the weight of equipment”
Early photography was hampered by 'the time-consuming techniques involved and the weight of equipment', the drawback the note lists.
“People wanted to buy photographs as souvenirs of a trip or as gifts”
People bought photographs 'as souvenirs of a trip or as gifts', the second use the note records.
“often travelled by canoe on the Blanche, du Lièvre, and other noted eastern rivers”
He 'often travelled by canoe on the Blanche, du Lièvre, and other noted eastern rivers', so canoe is the vehicle.
“In 1885 he went west along the Canadian Pacific Railway (CPR) as far as Rogers Pass in British Columbia, where he took photographs of the mountains and the progress of construction.”
At Rogers Pass he 'took photographs of the mountains and the progress of construction'.
Learn the question types in this passage
Frequently asked questions
Where does the Alexander Henderson (1831-1913) passage come from?
It is Passage 1 of Cambridge IELTS 14 Academic Reading Test 2, and it covers Questions 1–13.
What question types appear in Alexander Henderson (1831-1913)?
The passage is tested with True / False / Not Given, Note Completion. Each type is explained on this page, alongside the answers.
Are these reading answers reliable?
Every answer is paired with the sentence that proves it, so you can check each one against the passage yourself. Use the page after a timed attempt, not instead of one.
Cambridge IELTS is published by Cambridge University Press & Assessment. Band9Prep is not affiliated with Cambridge. This page is an independent study aid: it gives the answer key, the passage evidence and an explanation so you can review an attempt you have already made.